Page 38 of Harper

I’d forgotten.

This pregnancy is my fault.

My phone rattles on the bathroom floor, and I refuse the call, opening up a text chat with Joe instead.

Be normal, Harper. You have to be normal for him.

Harper

hey, babe. just wanted to say happy halloween. miss you.

***

Joe

Phew. Got worried when you didn’t pick up. All good there?

***

Harper

yep. all good. have a fun night!

***

Joe

Love you, Harp. Happy Halloween, sexy kitty! See you at Thanksgiving.

I clench my teeth together. My cheeks are soaked from my tears. My skin is burning from the salt. My chest aches so painfully, I can barely breathe.

All Joe’s ever wanted is to get married and start a family with me.

But that’s always been a “someday” plan, I tell myself, not a “now” plan. He’s at a Halloween frat party right now, drinking and dancing and having fun...which is exactly where I wish I was, too. We’re in college. We’re still kids. We’re not ready to be parents.

Harper

love you too. see you soon. xo

I lift my chin and dry my tears.

I know what I need to do.

More bile gurgles up at the back of my throat, and I spit it into the toilet, flushing again. Still sitting on the bathroom floor, barely able to read my phone screen from the tears flooding my eyes, I open up an internet session and type “Planned Parenthood” into the search bar.

I book the first available appointment, then stand up on shaking legs.

I pray to God that Joe never ever finds out.

If he does, it’ll surely be the end of us.

Chapter 4

Harper

With Tanner and McKenna taking honeymooners up to Whitehorse this weekend, I’m stuck with another four days of local tours in Skagway.

Once I apologized to Hunter for being such an asshole on the fourth and groveled for him to swap tours with me, he finally agreed to do Beers, Brawls and Brothels, leaving me to lead our local bike tour instead. Now, Bears and Bikes isn’t quite as scintillating for me as trips up north to the Yukon, but I’ll take it any day over staying in town to talk about whorehouses and Gold Rush thugs.

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